Too late?
by Andieke
Summary: Cameron comes back. Nothing is the same anymore, but is it too late to tell him that she loves him?
1. Chapter 1

Hey,

On the last too late story I got kinda stuck. So when I had an idea for another, pretty much similar story, I decided to delete the first one and start again.  
So here's the first chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it.

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One

The hospital was the same as she left all those years ago, yet there had been some sort of change going on. Some old faces looked at her and nodded as they recognized her. But most of the staff she could see from the lobby was new.

It felt strange to be back yet the minute she walked through the doors she felt like she had come home. She had run away as fast as she could, but she could never leave it behind entirely. Part of her soul had stayed behind at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and somehow she had know that she would come back here. Perhaps not in this situation.

She had a great life in Orlando, Florida. The weather was better than New Jersey. She wasn't beckoned at ones will and she had some friends and a nice flat there. But still there was something nagging, some longing for home and she knew she wouldn't satisfy that longing until she got back. When she had seen that PTTH was looking for an spot on the ER-staff she hadn't doubted. It was not fully into her work field, but it meant she could come back home. Cuddy had called her the day after and had awarded her the spot. She had gathered all her things and pretty much jumped on the first plane.

It was her first day back, not really to start work but to get all the paperwork in order. After her route through the entire HR department she had started on a walk through the hospital. She just wanted to remind herself again where everything was. Not that she would spend so much time outside the ER, but still it didn't hurt to know where everything else was. Her walk however had come to a sudden halt when she passed by the ICU.

'_Seems like staying paid off'_ someone said. She turned and saw Foreman standing next to her. He had come back as well, just a couple of months sooner than she did. Both stood there and kept looking at the door.  
'_You wanna go inside?'_ Foreman asked.  
'_Can we?'_ She asked. As an answer he took a key from his pocket.  
'_He gave me a spare one, just in case I need to hide or need some rest. We have to keep it locked so House can't get in.'_ He said as he unlocked the door and let her in.

The tidiness inside the room surprised her, back then he was always the messy one, leaving his stuff everywhere. However in this room nothing was out of place. On his desk some unopened envelopes lay, next to some patients files. They were probably some of his patients that still needed to be checked up on. A bookcase was the other big object in the room. It was completely but neatly filled, all with medical books. It surprised her to see that some where written by his father. During their marriage and the years before, his father was a forbidden object, but it seemed that even on this item time had an healing affect. On the other wall, facing the book case hung a flat screen TV.  
'_That's the main reason why we have to keep the room locked'_ Foreman said. '_otherwise he would keep hiding here watching all of his TV series.'_

She sat down on the leather seat behind the desk and tried to imagine how it felt having an office like this to work in. Back in Florida she didn't have her own office. There was a room where you could sit to study or work on your charts, but everybody could use that space. It wasn't a room where you could leave all your work and pick it up later. She would loved to have a room of her own, with her own name in the door. She couldn't help to think what would have happened if she stayed, whether she would have a office as well.

'_You work in here too?'_ She asked when she noticed some of the notes held Foreman's chicken handwriting.  
'_Yeah, Chase only comes in at the beginning and the end of his shift to finish things up. For the most of his time he's in the ICU or the OR.'_ Foreman said. She nodded. It was the first time someone had mentioned his name and it felt strange. Of course it would be strange, she knew that from the moment she accepted to come back here. He still worked here and they would meet in the hallways and people would mention his name. but somehow she had told herself that it would be different. She was over him, he didn't have the same effect on her like he did back then. But then her eyes fell on the calendar and she was reminded of the fact that today was a Tuesday and she could swear she heard someone say: '_It's Tuesday, I like you'_

The first week went by pretty quickly. Work in the ER was pretty much the same as back in Florida, only here a grumpy man kept bothering her. But she was used to House and she knew what he was trying to do. He was pushing her boundaries, just to see if he still had the same effect on her. She was quite happy to be back and perhaps felt that it really was coming home for her. But the week was also great because one person wasn't around. Chase had been on a three week holiday back home, which meant that the hospital was a Chase free space and she could walk everywhere without bumping into him. Today however was different. Foreman had cleared the desk in the office. He had been using the space to write on an article, but since the office was actually Chase's he had decided to clean up before the Australian came back.

Allison had dreaded this day, because she knew that now surprise meetings in the hallways or the cafeteria were a possibility. She had asked Foreman whether Chase knew that she had come back to work her. Apparently Cuddy had asked his opinion on the matter, so she didn't need to fear some _'I didn't know you where back'_ moments. But that still didn't make her look forward to meeting him.

Right now she was on her way to the diagnostics conference room. She hoped that this time House had paged her for a real consult, not some prank call just to make fun of her. However as she approached the room she could see that a lot of people where inside the room, so it seemed that this time it was for real.  
'_We thank you for finally joining us.'_ House said as she entered the room, but she hardly heard him. Her eyes were fixed on the figure standing near the coffee machine. He looked good, like full of life and everything. And to be honest it was kind of devastating . He was always the more emotional and somehow she had pictured him differently. Like totally letting go, losing grip on life. But he looked completely different. He looked in total control, he looked like a man ready to face pretty much everything life threw at him. He finally turned and looked at her.  
_'Hello Allison. It's been a long time'_


	2. Chapter 2

I'm sorry it took so long to update but I have been pretty buzy with work and everything.

Anyway thanks for the reviews and I hope you like it.

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**Two**

It couldn't be like this. She walked out on him, she should be full of life, glad to have left everything behind. He should have been the one questioning everything, he should have been the one sitting in a corner wondering what the next day would bring and if he would ever find love again. But the world was reversed.  
She was the one constant questioning everything, wondering whether she had done the right thing all those years ago. He seemed to have picked up his life and moved on. Could she really blame him? She had walked out on him. She knew that he had been waiting on her to come back, but when it became clear she was actually gone he had decided to start over, move on. It was selfish of her to think, no to expect that he would wait on her forever. She might have been the love of his life, 5 years did seem a bit too long to wait.

They didn't avoid each other, it would be very difficult since they were both working on a case with House, but they didn't look for eachothers company either. When they talked it was about work, nothing more. She kind of missed the conversations they used have. The way he could make her smile after a long hard day. She didn't have that back in Florida. To be honest she looked for that in every man she dated but she never found it. Or he couldn't measure up to the real thing.

She had looked for ways to talk to him, but it seemed that he had a bloody busy day. Whenever she showed up in ICU, he was just in the OR. One time she had found him alone, in his office a sleep on the couch. She had left him to sleep, knowing how important it was for a doctor.  
But today seemed to be her lucky day.  
She stood in the cafeteria, deciding where to sit. She could join House's new crew, but she didn't felt like being questioned about her time with House. She was just about to walk to an empty table when she spotted him. He was sitting at the back, reading something.

'_mind if I join you?'_ He looked up from the book he was reading. The first few seconds he remained silent, so silent that she though he was gonna ignore her.  
'_take a seat'_ was the answer she finally got.  
He didn't say much, just kept on reading. It was like she wasn't there. If she really wanted him to acknowledge her, she had to get him talking.

'_How have you been?'_ it was a stupid question, but the only one she could come up with.  
'_I've been fine'_ he said without even looking up from his book.  
'_Okay.'_ She said. Right try to find another input.  
'_I heard some rumors that you are still living at our old place?'_ She asked.  
'_What if I'm?'_ He asked.  
'_Nothing, I just thought you would have looked for another place that's all'_ She said.  
'_Why should I? You took everything that belonged to you with you. Just figured it would be easier to just stay. Nothing really there to remind me of you.'_ He said. She looked at him. Nothing to remind him of her? They had spend their married life in that place and just because of the fact that she moved out and took her stuff, it became a house again with no meaning.

'_Why are you here?'_ he suddenly asked.  
'_I haven't come back for you, if that's what you are thinking'_ She said.  
'_I wasn't. not a single sign, well except the divorce papers, so you coming back for me never crossed my mind. So why are you here?'_ He replied.  
'_Why does it matter?'_ She asked.  
'_Well, maybe cause 5 years ago you couldn't get away fast enough. So it makes one wonder why you have returned.'_ He simple stated that fact, so she assumed her returning was probably questioned by others.  
'_I don't know. Just wanted to come back. That's all'_ She said. He simple nodded and got up.  
She wanted to know where he would be going, but she didn't ask. She couldn't ask, she lost the right years ago. He was a free man now, she had let him go. The only thing that connected them was their past, but it seemed he had gotten over that.

If you had to type Robert Chase, one would choose the words mysterious, closed. People hardly knew what was going on in his life. He kept his matters to himself. Allison was the only one that had ever entered his personal space, the only one he had confided in, but that backfired. Well most of it was of his doing, but still. He had expected her to be around, not to just turn her back and run away. It took him some months but he got over it. By the time the divorce papers had arrived he was back to himself. The mask was back on and he kept on going like he did before the wedding.

But that was pretty much only to the outside. On the inside he was a wreck. He had been like this before, way before Allison. His childhood years had brought him to this stage. With Allison it seemed like he finally found the home he was looking for. But one decision on his part had ruined it all and he lost the closest thing to a family he had ever known. So he had done what he he always did, avoid the past, pretended it never happened and turned to the only stable thing in his life: work. His work was so demanding, so controlling that it took his mind off all the other things. He even spend days after days in the hospital, offering to take over shifts so he wouldn't have to go home and face the demons.

But Allison coming back had ruined everything. The perfect balance of peace and quiet on the outside and chaos on the inside had been shifted the moment he had learned she would be coming back. Cuddy had the decency to ask his opinion. Not that he couldn't say anything else but yes. Like Cuddy would not hire her again just because he said no. He had decided to take some time off, so he wouldn't be around when she came back. It was stupid to think that it would change everything, he had to come back one time and face her.

Allison was the only one who know how to get to him and he wasn't sure he could face that. But he couldn't let her know that. She seemed to be under the impression that he was over her. He wasn't and he really doubted he ever could get over her. He loved her and he would always love her. It was just that she didn't seem to return the favor and he swore to never let her in again. He survived the first time, he wasn't sure he could do it a second time.


	3. Chapter 3

First of all I'm so sorry for not updating for so long. I had a lot going on.

Anyway, this one is a couple of weeks forward. Hope you like it.

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**Three**

House had requested all of them to work on yet another case, but Chase was often absent. He had other responsibilities and couldn't always come down for yet another differential or yet another set of tests. And when he came, he was often pretty tired so he remained quiet. However when he took part, most of his statement made sense. He had grown as a doctor in those 5 years. Not that he wasn't a good doctor before. House had fired him cause there had been nothing left to teach the Australian.

But his work in the OR and the ICU's had taught him a big deal, just like she had learned a lot from working in the ER. She often referred patients into his care and she knew he would do anything to keep them alive and better. Whenever time let her and House wasn't requesting her, she would sneak into the walkways of the OR's and watched him work.

Allison Cameron wasn't one to pine over something, but Chase seemed to be something different. He had a hold on her and she wasn't sure she wanted that hold to vanish. She had send the divorce papers because it seemed the logical thing to do, but somewhere deep in her heart she had hoped it would have spiked something from his side. By sending them she had to give him the return address and so let him know where she lived. However the papers returned the same week with his signature neatly on the dotted lines. He hadn't fought for her, hadn't come after her. It was like he had given up entirely and was just fine with it. His past played a role in it. Many had left him and never cared for him anymore. Perhaps he had seen her departure as the same way. She had left him, so in his mind she had a reason for it. Why should he fight that reason?

She had wanted him to fight for her, to make her understand why he did what he did. The more she taught about it, the more she came to his side, to understand why he did it. Not that she would ever do it, but she had slowly come to grips with the reasons why and she had slowly come to the point where she had forgiven him. But it was too late, what he needed was for her to forgive him right there and then, to be around so she could help him through this period. He had needed her support and all she had done was walk away. She had done the same like his father, like his mother. She had turned away from him on the moment he needed her the most. So perhaps it was understandable to not go after her, to not fight for her. Why should he, when she hadn't the guts to stay when the going got though. Why would he come after her when all she had done was to get away from him as soon as possible. She had a pearl in her hands, a guy who was willing to do everything for her and she had discarded it and by the looks of it, it seemed for forever.

The case was closed and she could really do with some sleep, but still she was wandering around the hospital. Despite that fact that she had found a new home to live in, she didn't like spending time there. It reminded her too much of what she had left behind when she left all those years ago. It reminded her too much of who she had lost while making that move. Roaming the hospital wings seemed a better thing to do. She could always go down to the ER, they always needed an extra pair of hands. Yet she took another turn and went away from the ER.  
He has asked her why she had come back, and in all honesty he had to right to do so. Five years ago she couldn't wait to be away, to be separated from him and everything that had to do with him. So it seemed odd that she applied for a job here. All those years she never phoned him, wrote a letter of even send him a text. The only correspondence between the two of them had been the divorce and even that was entirely done by paper alone. He had every right to think that she didn't come back for him and that made him question her return. Okay she had spend a lot of years here, but still the no connection to him explanation didn't make sense .

And that was what it was: it made no sense cause it wasn't the truth. Oh she had come back because she missed the place, but it had nothing to do with the hospital itself. There were other hospitals like PPTH, similar or even better where she could easily get a job. But they didn't employ a certain Robert Chase. She always thought he would be the emotional one, the one who would give up on life, just because she wasn't there. She was supposed to be the strong one, the one who would get over it and spend the rest of her life pretty happy. But the reality was upside down. He was the one who was happy and clearly over her. She was the one pining over him and wondering what it would take to get him back. But it seemed like that would never happen. He probably didn't want her back and she had started to wonder if it had been such a good idea to come back. But still being here had one advantage: he was around and perhaps he wouldn't come back in the position she would like, he was still around and she could talk to him whenever she liked it. Like now:

She had passed by the diagnostic conference room and saw him sitting there, looking trough a medical manual. Softly knocking on the door, she let her presence known before she opened the door and walked in.  
'_I thought you had gone home'_ He said without looking up from the manual.  
'_Yeah, decided to stay. What are you still doing here?'_ she asked.  
'_my shift starts in half an hour, no need to go home. Besides the case made me want to look something up'_  
Nodding to his statement, she just sat down and stared into nothing. For some minutes, the turning of the pages was the only sound to be heard. They sat there in an peaceful quietness and she quite like that.

Back then, they often spend time together not saying a word, just enjoying each other presence. While living in Florida, she had looked for that in a relationship, but it seemed that the men she met never heard of it. Whenever they tried it for her, it only lasted a couple of minutes. They would get up, explaining that there was so much to do. With him, they could be like that for hours. Just the peace and quietness around them, knowing the other was just a heartbeat away. That was enough for her. Her job was demanding enough. She didn't need to be out there, walking around the beach, playing sports. No because of the chaos in the ER she needed peace when she came home and Robert Chase seemed to understand that completely.

Suddenly both their pagers ripped their noises through the silent room and both nearly jumped up. She was the first to take a look at it, seeing code black standing on it.  
A lock down. Whatever they wanted to do, it had to wait. They wouldn't be able to leave until the lock down was over and god knew when that happened.  
At first panic came up, but she tried to control it. Wild panic wouldn't help. They just had to stay there until the news came that everything was over. Until then they were confined to the room.  
'_You want one too_?' Chase suddenly asked. She turned towards his voice and noticed that he was standing at the coffee corner. She nodded and not much later he handed her a cup. It was just the way she like it, he still remembered. She looked at him over her cup. He had once again taken up reading. If she knew him like she thought she did, inside he would be in a complete turmoil. But he learned so long ago to hide what he really felt. She had been one of the lucky few to actually break through, to pass by the all the barriers. She had seen him like he really was, the anxiety just around the corner. His inner struggle, because of what had happened in the past and the fight to keep the rest on the outside. Suddenly she felt extremely guilty. He really believed in the romantic side of love, despite what happened to his parents he actually believed that two people could love each other for the rest of their lives. He actually believed in the happy ever after. He probably knew the reality but still he held on to it and she had shattered it from him. He had loved her enough to come forward about what he did and he had believed, or hoped that she loved him enough to forgive. But she hadn't, well not the love part because she really did love him. in her blind ambition as a doctor she hadn't been able to give the forgiveness he needed so badly.

'_Do you regret i_t?' She asked, all the sudden overcome by the feeling of needing to know.  
'_regret what_?' He asked.  
' _Marrying me_'  
'_No_.' The answer came so fast that she hardly had time to think about it. She was so convinced that he wouldn't answer of at least take some time before answering that she had nearly missed it.

'_And the divorce_?'  
'_what about that_?'  
'_Do you regret tha_t?' Now he took quite longer to answer. He looked at her, and she could see him go over things in his mind.  
'_Yes'_ He finally said. '_And you_'  
Suddenly swallowing became pretty heard. She needed some time too progress what had been said and to register what he was asking. She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it without speaking. Because suddenly the answer to that question wasn't very clear. She had always been so sure that she had taken the right course, that it was the best thing to do for both of them. But coming back her changed everything. While being in Florida she had been able to leave it all behind her. She wasn't confronted with it and she could pretend like it never happened. But here, back in New Jersey the past was just right out there, mixing in with the present and suddenly the right path didn't seem like the one she had been walking down.  
' _Don't really know_' she replied and it was the truth. His admission was so earth shaking that she needed time to process it.

Silence once again fell down on them but there were some glances cast from one to the other. But neither really know what to say. They spent the next half an hour, trying to figure out what to say but without the guts to actually speak out.  
Finally the signal came that the lock down as over and he was the first one to get up.  
'_If you felt like you just said, why accept it_?' He froze in the middle of the door and turned around.  
'_Because you didn't leave me any choice_.' He said and disappeared. But not without her noticing the slump in his shoulders.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, first of all thanks for the reviews! keep them coming.

This is a bit of an in between chapter. I have decided on the ending of the story and it will be a happy end. However I had to direct the story in that direction, that's why this chapter fit in. It could be a bit of awhile before I update again. I still have to decided on the how, it might take a while before I figure it out. And I have to get back to work next week, so kinda less time to write. But I'll do my best not to make it too long.

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**FOUR**

It was in the little things that he knew something had changed. It wasn't a forced change, or an intended change, it just happened and he wondered when it had started. Not that it needed any genius to find the answer. The lockdown, no , the conversation between them at the lockdown was what had started this slow and silent change in him. He wish he could stop it, hold his own emotions inline, but he couldn't. The can of worms had been opened and they were crawling around, not prepared to stop.

She had no right to ask whether he had any regrets. Yet he answered her. He had surprised himself by actually answering. When she had left and the papers had been signed he had sworn to himself that he would never answer any question about it. But a couple of minutes with her and his brain went soft and everything went out the window. He couldn't think straight when she was concerned. He silently cursed: he had been fine for the past five years but she came back and he was once again the stupid one, the one so madly in love he would do anything for her.

He looked at himself in the mirror: did he just admit it, after five years of saying that he wasn't, had he just admitted to himself that he was in love with her? His reflection looked at him and even had the guts to have a little smirk playing around his lips. He did and there was no way back. But still she had no right to ask those questions.

But truth to be told it wasn't the questions that made him angry, it was her answer to his. She didn't know? She was the one who left, she was the one that had left him alone right at the time when he needed her the most. She had the guts to ask him how he felt, and then replied she didn't know? He never asked for this situation, if he had his way she would have never left. But she did, one day she was simply gone to never return. And when she did, she caused a new havoc in his life and then could say that she didn't know?

He would have to stay away from her but that would be a hard to accomplish. They worked in the same hospital and into fields that more than often met in treating patients. He didn't want to leave, despite everything he loved the place and wouldn't change it for the world. It meant he would have to be strong concerning her. He might still love her, he didn't want to go through the same hell when she left the first place. She might not know how she felt on the divorce and stuff, he didn't know how she stood on staying. He had invested once and had been hit rather hard. No way, under the circumstance as they were now would he invest once more. She might have been the love of his live, he wasn't sure she was worth to go through everything again.

Despite being the most irritable person to work with, Gregory House was above all a very good people reader. Probably what made him so irritating in the first place. Although he did offer questions in that department, if he was that irritating why did the 3 duckling stay? Okay two had strayed but had returned to the nest after awhile. But today he was concentrating on the first one. Doctor Robert Chase had been an enigma since the beginning. It was one of the reason why he had hired him. So much questions had risen when he had seen the resume and he hadn't been able to resist. The Aussie was the first one to ever get fired by House. Not because he wasn't bad, no because there had been nothing left to teach the man. Chase was a House in training. He had been pushed into medicine, it was his dad's decision made for him, but Chase became extremely good at what he did. He choose a area as far removed as possible from his father and set his heart to it. if he had to be doctor he would become an good one. Never wanting to trade on his father's name he had come to America. The interview had been set up to please his father but it was Robert Chase himself that convinced House to hire him. Or better said, it was the enigma Chase that had convinced him to hire the Aussie.

Chase had potential, he had seen that from the beginning, and now so many years later he knew he was right. Chase was a far better doctor then Foreman or Cameron. They all knew everything that they needed to know, but Chase never projected his own feelings on the patients. Chase main goal was the make sure the patient got cured and just like him Chase was willing to overstep some boundaries. Chase never took his mocking personally, he just filed it somewhere in his head and there would be no next time. The guy could be so cold sometime, so avoid of feelings that he could have been the first human robot. But that was the wall he had built around him. Being left alone by pretty much everyone you cared for kind of did that to a person. But Chase had managed to keep humanity aboard. Cameron made that come out more.

He had guessed that one wrong. He had of course been expecting that something would happen, but Chase and Cameron, no he would never had guessed that. They were so different that they were the least likely couple in the hospital. But perhaps that was what made it work, or almost made it work. Cameron needed someone to take care of, she has to feel needed by someone and Chase provided that by the buckets. The guy was totally head over heels in love with her and did nothing to hide it.  
Chase needed a home, needed a place where he could feel save and Cameron became that for him. At first House thought that Chase would become a little puppy who did everything that it was asked to do. But the guy actually started to man up during the relationship, actually started to make some demands of his own. It had caused some trouble between to two, but they had made it down the aisle.

House never thought Cameron would be leaving, would just pick up her stuff and leave. But she did and he watched with some anxiety the changes in the Wombat. Chase of course retreated a bit, but did not went back to his original state. But the wall around him had been multiplied by at least 4. Nothing came through anymore, for the last 5 years he became the one who stayed in the hospital for 24 hours, only going home when ordered. The man was a machine, a machine running on God know what. But with the big return cracks had appeared in the amour. The was only one person responsible. At first the reunion of the ducklings went rather well, but last week something changed. Something had shifted between the exes and House wondered what it was. Chase had taken up the avoidance plan. He hardly showed up for any differentials and he made sure he was never alone with Cameron. House didn't do love or didn't try to mess with it. But he needed the Aussie and therefore had to go down the love path.

'_You know what?'_ House said to Wilson as they were sitting in the cafeteria eating Wilson's lunch.  
'_Somehow I don't want to know'_ Wilson simply stated.  
'_I'm gonna be the match maker of the year'_ House said, stole another fry and took off, leaving Wilson sitting there confused and wondering what the grumpy doctor had in store for them this time.


	5. Chapter 5

Alright, sorry it took me so long to post another chapter. I had a little trouble finding the right idea's for this one but yesterdag I finally had the idea.

Sorry to leave you all like this but I promise to update soon.

Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming.

**FIVE**

Looking in the mirror he did some last few changes to his tie. He managed to surpress a sight as he picked up his coat. A charity ball at the hospital. He had managed to not show up at the last few, but all of the sudden Cuddy changed the rules. All the sudden all charity balls at the hospital became mandatory to personnel. She explained it by saying that the donors at the parties wanted to meet the people who would work with their money. He really doubted that was the real reason, but knew well enough to just accept it. Not that he didn't try to be on the on call list for tonight, but Cuddy got in between. He was very high on her attend list because of all the previous missed ones and she had bullied another in taking his place on the on call roster. So that was why he flagged down a cab and told him where to go.

He had hated public attendings from a early age. His dad often took him and his mother to those gatherings so he could show off. So he could show he was not just a good doctor but he also managed to have a good family. It was all a lie, just a show, but both his mother and him were too scared to say something about it. On days like that he had learned to get his emotions in check, not to show them to the outside world. It was there that the mask had gotten worked out and he still used it whenever wherever he went.

As he got inside the hospital, he spotted Foreman, Thirteen and Cameron. He wanted to sneak in, pretend like he didn't see them. But Foreman spoiled the fun by calling out to him. Now he had no other choice but to go over. Not that he didn't like spending time with Foreman. Throughout the years the two of them had learned to appreciate each other. It took them awhile but they were now something you could call friends. No, it was Cameron who made him dread going over there. Going to things like this always reminded him of his early years and how he had learned to conceal everything, to lock everything inside. Only a few people had managed to get through all the walls build around him and Cameron was one of them. He had let her in and had gotten pain in reward. Not that it stopped him from loving her. He would until the end of time but he had managed to somewhat put it on the back burner. But the recent events, the talk during the lockdown had changed everything and had put a different aspect on to things.

She looked beautiful, but then again she always did to him. He had to take care not to be staring too much. No one likes to be stared at and it would be extremely weird if your ex husband was the one doing the staring. He still struggled with that word. He was of course exactly that but somehow it didn't feel right. But he had to live with it, it was the way she had wanted things. But still she looked more than beautiful to him. He kept his face turned towards the dance area but at the same time tried to look at her. Not easy and he often found himself slowly turning his head towards her.  
They were sitting alone at the table, everybody else had gone over to dance. They were the odd pair sitting alone at the table and both tried to ignore that fact.

Allison Cameron stood before her closet trying to decided what to wear. She didn't want to go tonight, but Cuddy had made it very clear that her presence was expected. She tried to get out of it, especially when she learned that Cuddy had blocked Chase's attempt to be on the on call list. But the Dean of medicine didn't have any of that, and that was why she was looking at some dresses for tonight. She never liked going to those events, but at the same time she liked the attention she could when she was all dressed up. It was a bitter sweet event and somehow she felt like it would become even more so tonight.

She finally settled on a dress by just picking one from the rack. It wasn't until she was ready to go out and looked at herself for one last time that she noticed it was one of Chase's favorite ones. He had gone along to buy it. he had been sitting on the coach in the store for hours, waiting for her to try just one more. When she had put this one on and got outside his entire demeanor had changed. She hadn't looked in the mirror but knew this was the one just by the look on his face.

For a second she thought about changing, but if she did she would be horribly late and she didn't want to face Cuddy. So the dress stayed and she got on her way.  
At the hospital she had run into Foreman and Thirteen. Instead of standing alone she decided to join them. She had seen him coming in, still after all the years taken away by the sight of him completely dressed up. Chase had sometimes a weird taste in clothes but when he did the work he looked most handsome. Foreman called out to him and he made his way over. Knowing him well enough she could see he dreaded coming over but he still did. Not that he said much, Foreman and Thirteen did most of the talking for them.

At the table she felt him watching her, but whenever she looked at him he looked away. That gave her some time to watch him. All the sudden she realized that she was sitting at the same table as her ex-husband. He was sitting next to his ex-wife. All the sudden it felt extremely strange. She was that to him and he to her but she had never thought of him in that manner. He had been someone from her past, someone she couldn't let go and there for returned home. They were sitting alone at the table, everyone else had gotten up to dance. She wondered how the scenery for the rest looked. They were sitting nearly next to each other, just one empty chair between them. Both trying their hardest not to look at each other but at the same time couldn't resist doing so.

All the sudden the forced peace between them got interrupted as one of the new doctor's approached their table. He obvious didn't knew the history but she didn't mind. She needed some time away from the table, so when he asked her to dance she accepted. When she walked towards the dance floor she could feel his eyes burning holes in her back. Without looking back she knew he would be watching her. Despite the little voice telling her not to, she did think that perhaps jealousy could ignite the spark between them. Perhaps it could force him to come clean, to tell her what he really wanted.

Gregory House looked at the table and couldn't hide a smile. The wombat had been left behind, his mate taken away from him. The blonde doctor had grabbed a napkin and seemed like killing it . But he never took his eyes off the scenery before him. Cameron seemed to enjoy the company from the other doctor but House knew better. The little fox had somehow come to the same conclusion. Jealousy could force the wombat to play his cards, to let the wall down and show the emotions, the feelings. If Chase really loved Cameron he wouldn't let this happen, he would step in and claim her for his own.  
All was going so well to plan until Chase finally got up. Both he and Cameron thought he was gonna make his way to the dance floor, but to his surprise the Australian turned and left the hall.

Cameron was having fun dancing with the guy but she never took her eyes from the table. He was watching her and she was hoping, waiting for the moment he would step in. But it all took way too much time and when he finally did get up from the table it wasn't for what she had planned. Without saying anything to anyone, without any gesture to anyone in the room, he just got up and walked away. It wasn't until he had nearly left the hall that she realized that she had to go after him. This wasn't going to plan and if she wanted to fix things she had to act quickly. She excused herself to her dance partner and went after him.

Running on high heels clearly sucked and she had trouble catching up to him. She finally got close enough to yell his name when they entered the lobby of the hall.  
'_Chase, please wait!'_ She yelled as she nearly jumped of the last few steps. He clearly had heard her because for a second he froze.

But then he just continued on, without looking back leaving her alone.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sooo sorry it took so long to finish the story.**

**There has been a lot going on and I was a bit stuck on ending it, because yes this is the final chapter.  
I hope you like it and let me know what you think. **

* * *

**SIX**

Without thinking she ran after him, into the darkness outside the hospital. A quick glance told her in what direction he had gone. She once again started running, well as much as her high heels would let her run. She kept calling his name, appalling to his fear of public drama.

It had been a spur of the moment thing, but it worked. Just before the corner he stopped. This time he actually kept standing there while she reached him. While he had turned to face her, he seemed to look right through her. But she didn't let that scare her. She scanned his face and saw the hurt all over it. Her little not so genius moved had turned out to be absolutely wrong. The idea behind it, at that point seemed logic, but his face told her that she had hurt him badly. She even wondered why he even stood there, so close to her. He had every right to run but he didn't. Suddenly it hit her, just like her he had no place to run. They had gotten away from the point where they usually run to when the going got though. Instead of running towards each other, they would often run to the hospital, bury themselves in work so they didn't have to think about something else. And right now she had taken that away from him. By flirting with the other doctor she had taken away his last safe haven, she had robbed him from a place to go. That's why he was standing there. And he was clearly preparing for the worst. She knew that look, he also wore it when he was telling her about what he had done.

He needed her approval, her forgiveness. But he was also preparing to accept her second dismissal. His entire being screamed it at her and she wondered how she had been able to miss it back then.  
Totally out of character he was the one who broke the silence by asking her what she wanted. He had tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible, but she could hear the accusation through it. He held her responsible for the situation they were in. And she couldn't blame him, she had been the one who decided to flirt and not with him.  
Because she didn't answer straight away, he started to turn around again but she caught hold of his arm.

'_You'_ It was only a 3 letter word, but it meant the world. All the sudden everything seemed to fall into its place again. It was like a new beginning she had been looking for. By saying that word, by expressing all the emotions behind the short word, she had felt like coming home.

He couldn't help but stare at her. Did he hear it right, did she just say what he thought she had said. He scanned her entire face, but there was no sign that she didn't mean it. The way she looked at him told him everything he needed to know. Yet there was something that held him back, something that kept him from replying, from doing something that showed her that he had heard. He couldn't help it, but images of when she left him the first time crept through his mind. The wheels inside his head where working overtime, they were trying to progress everything. But for the first time in his life, he told himself to stop thinking, to stop over analyzing everything and go by his emotions.

Allison stood there, waiting for any response from him. He just stood there, watching her. Nothing else happened and she started to worry about the outcome. She could tell that he was thinking, but the more time he took, the more she was sure it wouldn't be positive for her.

Suddenly he moved again, taking off his jacket. He still didn't say a word, but placed it around her shoulders. She was grateful for it, because she was getting cold. But still she feared the rejection and she couldn't blame him. But he surprised her again by taking her hand and pulling her close. He flagged down a cab. He still didn't say anything until the cab stopped before them.  
'_let's go home'_


End file.
